Benjamin Eziuka didn’t arrive at Virginia Tech with a spotlight on him this season. He arrived as a true freshman, then found himself starting at right guard in Death Valley after the Hokies ruled out four offensive linemen before kickoff at Clemson. That’s how things have gone for a lot of young players in a season when depth has been tested and the old redshirt math is gone.
Virginia Tech is 6-2, 3-2 in the ACC and bowl-eligible after the 20-16 win at Clemson. The Hokies are off this week and return at SMU on Friday, Nov.
- In years past, a late bye week meant coaches were counting games carefully because a fifth appearance could burn a freshman’s redshirt.
That no longer applies. From 2018 through last season, freshmen could play in up to four games and keep the redshirt.
James Franklin managed that rule deliberately at Penn State, and in 2019 he said his plan was to get freshmen into two first-half games and save “two for late.” But the NCAA Division I Cabinet changed the setup on June 23, adopting an age-based model that gives athletes five years to play five seasons and eliminates redshirt rules.
Freshmen who enrolled this year get whichever model helps them more, meaning a player who enrolled on time can now play every game in 2026 and still keep five full seasons.
So the question around the Hokies isn’t whether they can spare a freshman appearance. It’s which freshmen have earned one. Ten players were listed as out at Clemson, and that only makes the path clearer for more young Hokies in November.
Eziuka is the easiest name to start with. The 6-foot-2, 317-pound guard opened against Georgia Tech in a rotation with sophomore Gavin Crawford and ended up with 46 snaps to Crawford’s 17.
He also posted the team’s best PFF pass-blocking grade, an 84.3. Franklin called him a “pleasant surprise.”
Later, he added: “He’s dense; he’s powerful in the weight room, and he’s super trustworthy.” The line still has plenty of issues - Clemson sacked Ethan Grunkemeyer six times, and the Hokies have allowed at least three sacks in three straight games - but Eziuka’s performance shouldn’t be mistaken for part of the problem.
Justin Terry suffered a long-term injury against Maryland, and Terry, Montavious Cunningham, Nathaniel Wright and Lucas Austin all missed the Clemson game. Even when those veterans come back, Eziuka looks like someone who should stay in the mix.
Brown’s case is different. He doesn’t need a bigger role; he already has one.
The ESPN four-star from Richmond’s Trinity Episcopal has been one of Tech’s three starting receivers, joining seniors Ayden Greene and Que’Sean Brown. Through seven games, he had 184 receiving yards and a touchdown.
That score was the first of his career, a 28-yarder that brought Tech within two points in the 35-33 loss to Pitt. What could change after the bye is the depth chart behind him.
Shamarius Peterkin, L.J. Booker and Luke Stuewe were all out at Clemson, and if that doesn’t change, Brown’s targets are likely to keep rising.
Among the newcomers, Wiggins has the strongest recruiting pedigree. He was a consensus four-star and the No. 8 linebacker nationally by 247Sports.
His production has been modest so far, with only three tackles this season, but injuries elsewhere could nudge him into a bigger job. George Ballance missed the Clemson game, and that kind of absence can open a lane for Wiggins.
Amauri Polydor made his early impression in the spring. He enrolled early, earned freshman-to-watch mention from ESPN and CBS Sports, and tied for the most tackles in the spring game.
The fall has been quieter. He played six snaps in the opener against VMI.
Thomas Williams, the starting cornerback, missed Clemson after getting hurt against Georgia Tech, but UConn transfer Cam Chadwick Jr. sits behind him on the official depth chart.
Messiah Mickens has been waiting even longer. He was the first commitment of the Franklin era, but opportunity has been limited.
Jeffrey Overton Jr. is fourth in the ACC with 639 rushing yards, and Marcellous Hawkins Jr. gives the Hokies a power option. Mickens missed the spring with an injury and has only eight carries this season, all in the first two games.
If he’s going to get a real November run, it likely starts with someone ahead of him getting hurt.
In Other News...
Virginia Tech Defense Faces Its Biggest Test After Promising Start
Brent Prys first year as Virginia Techs defensive coordinator has given the Hokies a real foundation to build on, even with some rough edges still showing. At 6-2 through eight games, the defense has done enough to keep the team moving forward, and its overall numbers have been solid, sitting 26th nationally in total defense. The pass defense has had its issues, but the run defense has held up well, and several Hokies have put themselves near the top of ACC statistical categories.
Now comes the part that will tell Virginia Tech a lot more about what this defense really is. The next stretch on the schedule brings a different level of challenge, the kind that can expose whether the strong early-season profile is sustainable or just a product of a manageable opening run. For Pry and the Hokies, the encouraging start has bought them credibility, but the weeks ahead will determine how much of that progress holds up when the opposition gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Bye Week Is Putting Pressure On Two Key Battles
A bye week gives Virginia Tech a chance to catch its breath after opening the season 6-2, but it also puts a spotlight on the little things the staff wants cleaned up before the Hokies return to action against SMU on Nov. 6. James Franklin spent part of the break talking through recent performances and the way practice has been adjusted, with an eye toward keeping the team sharp while it resets for the stretch run.
Franklin also pointed to the ongoing competition behind the starting quarterback spot, a battle that has stayed active as the Hokies sort out their depth. He praised the way some freshmen have helped, while also noting there is more room for young players to earn trust as Virginia Tech tries to turn close losses into lessons and keep building on a resilient first half of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Tech Has A Rising Draft Name Fans Need To Watch
Virginia Tech still has no players from its 2025 roster drafted, but there is at least one name moving fast enough to change that conversation. Tight end Reynolds has become one of the more intriguing risers on the Hokies pro radar after a strong season, with his stock climbing from a consensus seventh-round grade in June into much more favorable territory on some midseason boards.
Wide receiver Brown and defensive lineman Stevens have also turned in notable production, giving scouts a few more reasons to keep watching the Hokies down the stretch, even if Stevens still has work to do to rise into the upper tiers. Quarterback Grunkemeyer has added another layer to the evaluation with impressive efficiency, as his completion rate is tracking toward a program mark, and that mix of individual momentum could make Virginia Techs draft picture look very different by the time the season ends. [Read more 🡒]